By TIM ALEXANDER
Illinois Correspondent

URBANA, Ill. — Illinois families of armed service members have until June 10 to apply for the Extension’s “See Your Soldier” program, which provides audio/video conferences with Air Force and Navy members stationed at two camps in Iraq.

On July 12-13, soldiers at Camp Al Asad (Air Force) and Camp Taji/ Cooke (Army) will be able to see and talk with family members in private, 30-minute sessions at local University of Illinois extension offices in 15 communities. There is no charge to the families or service members.

“The ‘See Your Soldier’ video conferences will provide family members a rare chance to see and talk with loved ones stationed in Iraq, through an Internet-based videoconferencing system,” said extension educator Bob Frazee. “This (program) provides an excellent opportunity to let your service member catch up with what’s been happening back home while they have been serving our country.”

Frazee said interested families must register online at www.seeyoursoldier. uiuc.edu by 5 p.m. on June 10 to reserve a time slot at participating extension offices.

Reservations are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.
After a family has registered, the service member will be informed by the military of the time and date of the videoconference. If the soldier’s duty schedule allows it, time for a 30-minute session will be allotted.

The live links are offered by extension in collaboration with the Freedom Calls Foundation, which provides videoconferencing and satellite communications in Iraq.

Extension offices participating in the program are located in Bourbonnais, Carbondale, Champaign, East Moline, East Peoria, Galesburg, Grayslake, Macomb, Morrison, Mt. Vernon, Princeton, Rockford, St. Charles, Wheaton and Yorkville.

When making a reservation on the website, Frazee said to include the location of the participating office where you would like to hold the videoconference.

Extension also announced that Conservation Expo 2007 is coming to central Illinois Aug. 21-23, at the farm of Richard and Robert Lasser of Colfax (McLean County).

Eight conservation practice showcases have been finalized for the event, including pond construction, wetland restoration, field borders/wildlife food plots, filter strips, grassed waterways, stream monitoring/water quality, soils demonstration and new septic system installations.

Extension is sponsoring the expo in conjunction with Ducks Unlimited, the Nature Conservancy and the Illinois Land Improvement Contractors Association (ILICA).

ILICA’s website at www.illica.net will be carrying the very latest details regarding activities and programs associated with the Conservation Expo as they are confirmed.